Wales and the South Coast are the nation’s DIY property sale hotspots

The latest research by tradespeople comparison site, HaMuch.com, has looked at where is home to the highest level of tradesperson demand based on the number of existing properties being bought and sold and in need of further work.

*Existing property sales refers to properties that are not new build

Spring is fast approaching bringing a boost in the number of both residential and commercial property sales and while moving to new property presents its own substantial list of things to do, once the dust has settled the majority of home movers and business owners still have a whole host of DIY jobs that require professional help.

Across England and Wales, there were hundreds of thousands of property sales last year and the vast majority (89%) of these were existing properties, not newly built ones.

For the large part, those moving into a newly built premise will have little need for a professional trade person, however, for those acquiring an existing property there is often work to be done that goes above and beyond your light touch DIY jobs for the weekend.

On a monthly basis, the number of properties sold last year spiked in March and remained high right through until dropping again in November, so the nation’s professional tradespeople will currently be gearing up for the incoming rush of work.

But where is home to the largest number of potential jobs based on the biggest proportion of existing property sales?

Blaenau Gwent in Wales is the biggest trade job hotspot with existing properties accounting for 99.7% of all transactions and newly built properties accounting for just .3%.

Wales seems a safe bet for tradesperson demand with Merthyr Tydfil ranking second with 99.3% of all transactions coming within the existing property space.

Portsmouth ranks third (98.7%), followed by Ceredigion (98.6%), Brighton and Hove (98.2%), Rhondda Cynon Taff (97.7%), Bournemouth (97.7%), Powys (97.4%), Poole (97.2%) and Caerphilly (96.7%).

Founder and CEO of HaMuch.com, Tarquin Purdie, commented:

“Searching for a local tradesperson used to limit you to companies within the immediate area, but technology now allows us to receive instant quotes from much further afield, and with strong competition for work, many tradespeople will travel much longer distances and even work away during the week for a well-paid opportunity.

Whether this is at a commercial or residential property, the best paid opportunities with the more substantial workloads often come via those who have recently acquired a property and have a number of things to remedy before they can call the job done.

With peak season for property buying almost upon us, it would seem the best chance of maximising your workload if you do work in the trades is to up sticks and move to either Wales or the South coast of England, as these are the areas with by far the most existing property sales as a proportion of all transactions.”

Area
Existing properties sold as a % of all transactions (2019)
BLAENAU GWENT
99.7%
MERTHYR TYDFIL
99.3%
PORTSMOUTH
98.7%
CEREDIGION
98.6%
BRIGHTON AND HOVE
98.2%
RHONDDA CYNON TAFF
97.7%
BOURNEMOUTH
97.7%
POWYS
97.4%
POOLE
97.2%
CAERPHILLY
96.7%
SWANSEA
96.57%
NEATH PORT TALBOT
96.52%
DENBIGHSHIRE
96.50%
SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
96.38%
YORK
96.37%
PEMBROKESHIRE
95.89%
ISLE OF ANGLESEY
95.79%
SOUTHAMPTON
95.48%
LEICESTER
95.35%
NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE
95.27%

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches Shared Lists to aid home-moving collaboration

The UK’s largest property platform Rightmove is launching new functionality for home-hunters to collaborate with the people they’re moving in with during their moving journey. Home-movers can now share property lists with friends and family, collaborating on shortlists of agents’ properties, making the process of searching for a home more social and interactive. Each year…
Read More
Breaking News

Northern Ireland Buyers Turn to Shared Ownership with Family & Friends as Housing Costs Climb

John Minnis, expert estate agent based in Belfast says the trend is only expected to rise, but buying property with family and friends comes with risks. A growing number of first-time buyers in the UK are taking an alternative route onto the property ladder: teaming up with friends or family to purchase homes together, according…
Read More
small house bird box
Estate Agent Talk

With housing delivery slowing and space shrinking, self-storage attracts investor attention

The UK housing trend for purpose-built student accommodation, build-to-rent and co-living models offers compact living and very little storage. Investors reading between the lines can see an investment opportunity By Joe Freedman, Head of Origination at ASK Partners As UK housing delivery becomes increasingly complex and drawn out, investors are seeking opportunities that generate income…
Read More
Breaking News

Full Steam Ahead! UK Construction to return to growth in 2026

Construction intelligence specialists predict renewed activity following false-start over the summer. Revised figures will see UK construction sector grow 21% over the next two years Private housebuilding remains on course to grow significantly, with activity still predicted to rise by almost a fifth in 2027 Commercial office starts set to continue their ascent, and increasing…
Read More
Breaking News

Automatic approval of housing near stations to be welcomed, but planning rules not enough

Housebuilding around train stations will be given default “yes” Default “yes” for tens of thousands of new homes near train stations to speed regeneration and get spades in the ground faster Housing Secretary empowered to remove planning blockages and fast‑track large-scale applications. Second phase of reforms streamlining consultations with application decisions cut by 40% to…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 19/11/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Smart strategic investment underpins new growth  A consortium of investors including Preqin founder Mark O’Hare have acquired a 41% stake in the specialist land acquisition platform, Verafind, which has rebranded from VirginLand by Ringley. Other investors joining O’Hare include Will Killick and Andrew Pettit, Founding…
Read More